


Day 21: "Don't Try to Pin This on Me"

by SpiderShell



Series: FEBUWHUMP 2021: IronDad [21]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Blind Peter Parker, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:03:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderShell/pseuds/SpiderShell
Summary: Peter slammed his hand down on the table. “Why can’t I get this?” he screamed. “Why? Why?” He leapt to his feet and tripped his way out of the room, one hand trailing along the wall to feel where he was going. Once he managed to reach his bedroom, he slammed the door shut, walked forward until his legs touched his bed, and then collapsed onto it.His arm, outstretched, fell onto his bag, and Peter felt for the zipper, reaching inside. Fingers touched smooth material, tough but soft, and he drew it out, tracing the metal emblem on the front. Breath hitching, he gathered his suit to his chest and hugged it, burying his nose in it.He’d never be able to be Spider-Man again.What use was a sightless superhero?
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: FEBUWHUMP 2021: IronDad [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2136318
Comments: 14
Kudos: 89





	Day 21: "Don't Try to Pin This on Me"

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [This Feels Like the End](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619097) by [Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror/pseuds/Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror). 



> _NOTE:_ This is the first part of a two part story. The second part appears in Day 21

Peter’s alarm blared in his ear, and he reached out his hand, slapping at his phone lazily. He opened an eye, then buried his head under the covers again. “It’s not even light yet,” he mumbled. 

_Peter, Boss says that if you don’t get up in the next ten minutes, he will be throwing your breakfast out,_ FRIDAY, Tony’s AI, informed, startling Peter from sleep. 

“Fine, fine,” he mumbled, sitting up and opening his eyes. 

It was completely dark, a slightly orange tint to his right-hand-side indicating that the sun would be rising soon. 

“Ha, ha,” he said dryly. “This is a prank, right?”

 _I am completely serious._

Dread gnawed at his insides. “FRIDAY, what time is it?”

 _It is currently ten thirteen in the morning._

Peter rubbed his face, fear pulsing through him. He opened his eyes again, holding his hands out in front of his face. 

He could see nothing.

Peter screamed, clapping his hands to his face and pressing into the skin with his fingernails, as if the pain would bring his sight back. He moaned, rocking back and forth, back and forth, tears streaming over his hands and down his chin. Heavy sobs wracked his body. 

“PETER! Peter!” Suddenly Tony was there - hands were on his shoulders - and with a choked up cry, Peter reached out for him. When his hands made contact with his mentor’s shirt, he gripped it and pulled himself towards Tony, throwing his arms around him desperately. “Mr. Stark, please, help me!” he sobbed into the man’s shirt. 

Tony’s arms came around him, and the man sat down on Peter’s bed. “Underoos, what’s wrong?” he asked, not bothering to hide the fear in his voice. What happened? Was it a nightmare?”

“I can’t see. Help me!!” 

Tony stiffened. He gripped Peter’s shoulders and pushed the boy back, staring into his sightless eyes. “Peter, what the fricking heck? How did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought it would get better,” Peter wailed. “My healing...my sight should have gotten better!”

"Shhh," Tony said, and there was a hand in Peter's hair. He smoothed the unruly curls gently, tucking them behind his ears. "When did this happen? And why didn't you tell me?" He paused. "Why didn't Karen send a notification to FRIDAY that you were hurt? Oh don't tell me you got Ted to hack it again."

Peter hung his head, tears falling faster at the mention of his best friend. "It's Ned. And it didn't happen in the suit. It happened at home."

Tony inhaled sharply. "Who did this to you?" An undercurrent of anger cut through his words and the hand on Peter's shoulder tightened. 

"No one," Peter said, wringing his hands together. "I...I was cleaning the roof and bleach fell in my eyes."

"And you didn't think of telling someone and going to the doctor?"

The fingernails of Peter's hand dug into the wrist of his other arm, and Tony gently pulled it away, trapping it in both of his hands. "It costs too much," he sniffled. "If I told May, she'd have made me go to the hospital, and the fees are so expensive, and she's already got two jobs to pay the bills, and then she'd have to do extra work to pay for the hospital, and-"

"Oh, Pete," Tony said, cutting the rambling, crying boy off. "I could help. I will help. You don't have to deal with this by yourself." 

_Why didn't he trust me enough to tell me?_ he thought, an unbidden stab of hurt echoing through him.

Peter choked on a sob. "I have to take care of her. I'm all she has since Uncle Ben died, and I have to show her that I can do it."

"You shouldn't have to," Tony said, voice somber. "I'm dead serious - you're fifteen, and only barely. Tell you what, kid. I'm giving your aunt a job here at Stark Industries tomorrow. She'll only have to work normal hours, and she'll get good pay. I promise. I'm here now. I'll take care of you two."

Peter flung his arms around Tony again, pressing his face into his shirt. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he whispered. 

"Tony! Is Peter okay?" Pepper's voice came from the doorway, and the sound of her heels clattered towards them. "What happened?"

Tony murmured something to her, but Peter chose not to listen, focusing instead on the steady sound of his mentor's heartbeat.

Then another pair of hands was on him, pulling him up, and he realised it was Pepper. "Oh, honey," she whispered, pulling him into a tight hug. "It'll be okay. Come, we're going to take you to be checked out by Doctor Cho."

Peter complied with Dr. Cho, doing whatever she told him to do, but when she finished looking him over and started talking to him, Tony, and Pepper, he shrunk into himself. 

He stopped listening when he heard the word _permanent._

* * *

"Table's to your left, Pete," Tony said softly, one hand on the boy's elbow as he led him to the couch. "Be careful."

Peter was silent as Tony pushed him down onto the soft fabric.

"I'm going to call May, okay?" Tony said, both hands on Peter's shoulders. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Peter nodded. Well, he certainly wouldn't be able to go anywhere now anyways, would he? He sat, hands clasped together tightly, staring blankly straight ahead of him, as Tony’s footsteps retreated. How could he go through life like this? How could he stay sane?

* * *

Tony was trying to teach him to learn Braille. He would take Peter’s finger and lightly brush it over the raised dots, carefully explaining which letter each pattern coincided with. 

“What’s this?” the man asked as Peter touched two dots going down at an angle. 

“F,” he murmured, concentrating hard. 

“That’s I,” Tony corrected gently, “F has an extra dot on the top line.”

Peter slammed his hand down on the table. “Why can’t I get this?” he screamed. “Why? Why?” He leapt to his feet and tripped his way out of the room, one hand trailing along the wall to feel where he was going. Once he managed to reach his bedroom, he slammed the door shut, walked forward until his legs touched his bed, and then collapsed onto it. 

His arm, outstretched, fell onto his bag, and Peter felt for the zipper, reaching inside. Fingers touched smooth material, tough but soft, and he drew it out, tracing the metal emblem on the front. Breath hitching, he gathered his suit to his chest and hugged it, burying his nose in it. 

He’d never be able to be Spider-Man again. 

What use was a sightless superhero?

Heart-wrenching sobs shook his body, and he cried into the suit, thinking about how he would never feel the freedom of swinging through the city, saving someone, helping an old lady cross the lady. Never fight alongside Mr. Stark again. Never see the faces of his loved ones again. Never be able to use a phone. Never be able to read a book. Never be able to be normal at school. 

"Hey, buddy," Tony said, and Peter cried harder.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed, hiding his face from his mentor. "I was r-rude to you and you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry."

The bed dipped beside him as Tony sat down. His mentor put a gentle hand on his back and began to rub circles, humming quietly. Eventually, Peter began to grow sleepy, half drifting off. He let Tony uncurl him and push him to lie flat on his bed, drawing the covers over him, and tucking them under his chin. 

"It's okay," Tony whispered softly, one hand on Peter's shoulder. "I can even imagine how scary and devastating this must be. But I promise we'll get through it."

Peter smiled, fumbling to grab Tony's hand with his. Tony's thumb rubbing over his knuckles and the sound of him humming his favourite song were the last things he remembered before falling asleep.

* * *

Soft music played the background while May and Peter ate dinner. They'd discovered pretty quickly that music helped Pete stay calm and to give him something to focus on when his sight was dark. 

Using one hand to feel for his bowl, Peter stabbed at his salad, giving a murmur of triumph when his fork came back with a piece of lettuce and a tomato. He chewed on them thoughtfully, staring straight ahead. 

"Good job," May praised, getting up to refill both their cups with cold water. "You're getting better."

Peter smiled, waving his fork in the direction where her voice had come from. "This food is great, Aunt May," he said. "How'd you get so good?"

"I've been watching YouTube videos," she admitted with a breathy laugh. “Thought you might like it when I don’t burn the toast because you’re distracting me.”

“Don’t try to pin that on me,” Peter protested with a grin.

"You" She broke off when someone began to knock on the door. "I'll be back in a moment."

"Hello, May. Is Peter here?" came Tony Stark's voice, and Peter twisted in his chair.

"Hey, Mr. Stark!" he greeted, waving in the general direction of the door. "What are you doing here?"

May coughed.

"Can't I come visit my favourite intern?" Tony asked teasingly.

Peter snorted. "I'm your only intern," he counted, pointing at where the kitchen wall was. Last he remembered, a photograph of him and Tony with his internship certificate was framed there.

"True." Peter heard Tony drew closer. "Hey Underoos, mind if I talk to you in your room for a moment?"

"Okay," he said, pushing his chair back and carefully feeling his way to his room. "Am I in trouble?"

"Quick the opposite, sweetheart," May called before Tony shushed her and closed the door. 

Peter sat down on his bed, clasping his hands together. "Mr. Stark, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Pete." Suddenly,Tony was kneeling on the floor in front of him, hands reaching up to grip Peter's. "I just need to ask you something very important."

"Okay," Peter said, heart beating fast. He squeezed Tony's hands, both to encourage him and to calm himself. What was so important that Tony had to come here, in person, to ask him?

"Pete, what if - what if I asked you if you'd like me to become your legal guardian?"

Peter's mouth fell open. Had Tony just said what he thought he'd said?

"Really?" He asked, hia voice sounding young, vulnerable, and so, so full of hope.

"Really," Tony confirmed, squeezing his hands.

"I'd love that!" Peter whispered, tears streaming down his face. He pulled his hands back from Tony's, but held his arms out.

Tony pulled Peter into a tight, not caring that the boy's tears were soaking his shirt. All that mattered was that his kid was here, safe in his arms.

His kid. _His kid._

Tony Stark: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, _dad._

**Author's Note:**

> The last line is not mine - it belongs to Forthenightisdarkandfullofterror, from Chapter 4 of _This Feels Like the End_ : https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619097/chapters/70145022


End file.
